The Dummy's Guide To Love
by sweetheartgrl13
Summary: Tony finally gathers up the courage to ask Pepper out and brings her to london. Plans change and emotions are stirred. Pepperony slight IM2 spoilers. Read after IM2 Review please.
1. Nerves of Steel

**Disclaimer:I own nothing but the plot. (I always forgert to do these before I post it.)**

**Well this story started off being a totally diffrent story inspired by LightCameraFiction's The Importance of Being Bewildered. Very funny stuff. Go read it after you read this! So read on! AND PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!**Chapter 1

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The whole day had been absolutely crazy. Paparazzi around every corner, brandishing cameras with full memory sticks. Tony was losing his patience. He tried to put on a smile for them, but it was only half-hearted. It was both good and bad that Pepper was with him. She was the only thing keeping him from flicking off all of the photographers on front of ecstatic fans. He Tony had a huge mansion just outside of London that was perfect this time of year. He had surprised her by holding her hand on the way to the airport. She probably almost had a heart attack. Tony chuckled and cheered up a bit as he remembered what happened the day before.

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_Tony leaned against the window of the Rolls Royce on the way home. He had butterflies in his stomach which was neither normal for a Stark or manly. Tony concentrated on what he was about to do, confronting his flipping stomach. He was so focused on the scenery because Pepper was just a foot away in the seat next to him. He was certain that she was suspicious about his behavior. _

_"Tony, what's wrong?" Pepper asked. Tony's head spun. Her voice was soft and caring. He craved to just look at her, but he couldn't afford to break down now. He cleared his throat so his voice wouldn't break when he came up with some lame excuse._

_"Nothing. I've just never really paid attention to this road." Tony could almost see her frowning at how uncharacteristic his mood was. The car pulled up to Tony's house and Tony breathed a sigh of relief. He stepped out of the car before Happy could open his door. Tony ran around to Pepper's door and opened it for her before she could recover from his strange behavior. _

_"What is with you today?" Pepper asked. Tony found, to his dismay, that her words turned him to putty._

_"Uh. Ummm. C-come in?" Tony stuttered pathetically. Pepper seemed to think Tony was going crazy as he saw her face show worry. As she walked up to the house on front of him, Tony took another deep breath and shook his head, trying to clear away the fog. He ran up ahead of Pepper to open the front door for her. Tony certainly thought he looked more coherent than before and was relieved when Pepper walked inside, looking more trusting than worried. Tony felt more brave and knew if he didn't talk to Pepper now, he never would._

_"Good after noon, Mr. Stark. Miss Potts," greeted JARVIS politely. _

_"Hello, JARVIS. Could you give Pepper and I some privacy?" Tony said quickly. Pepper stared at Tony, surprised at his request._

_"Yes, sir."_

_"Pepper, may I ask you something?" Tony requested. She looked unsure but finally agreed. Tony sat down on the couch and Pepper sat down next to him. "Hmmm, How do I do this...." Pepper suddenly looked appalled._

_"Mr. Stark, if you dare ask me what I think you will, I swear I-"_

_Tony's eyes widened._

_"No, no, no!" he interrupted, "It's not that at all!"_

_"Is this your sick idea of a joke?" Pepper asked furious._

_"No. I Promise it's not that. Please just listen." Tony begged. Pepper eyed him cautiously but didn't say anything. Tony took this as her saying 'go on.'__ "I was just wondering, well I've heard around the office that, well you kinda have a think for me," Tony paused to see what she would say but she just turned a bright shade of pink and looked down at her shoes. Tony looked away so Pepper wouldn't know he was smiling with delight. "So I was sorta' hoping you would come to London with me for a vacation." Pepper looked up at Tony, still a slight shade of pink. _

_"I. But. What about work?" she asked. Tony could feel she was very close to giving in._

_"They can survive." he said. Pepper's blue eyes were glowing._

_"Vacation hours?" she asked._

_"I made sure that you got more. I am the one who assigns that stuff you know." Tony smirked._

_"Well, actually, I do but you already know that because that's what you told me to do. Ugh just stop talking already..." Pepper muttered quietly. Tony laughed quietly under his breath at seeing Pepper break down like this. He guessed that she meant to glare at him, but she just stared in to his eyes. Tony felt like electricity was flowing through his veins. He barely had the strength to look away before he could potentially ruin the moment by doing something totally out of line. Pepper rubbed her face and straightened her already perfect hair. Tony ruffled his hair, throwing it out of place. _

_"Well," Tony said, breaking the awkward silence, "are you comin' or not?"_

_"When are we leaving?"_

_Tony grinned. "Tomorrow morning."_

_"Oh my gosh! I have to pack now!" she gasped._

_"Okay. I'll pick you up tomorrow at seven," Tony said, joyfully. _

_"It's a date," Pepper said smiling. As soon as she closed the door, Tony jumped up from the couch and started to do a victory dance. Just as he was shaking his butt, the door opened and Pepper came in. Tony whirled around and turned bright red._

_"Ummm... My computer," she explained._

_"Ah... Yes," Tony said pulling his fingers through his hair._

_"I won't tell any one. I promise," Pepper murmured._

_"Thank you..."_

_Pepper walked back to the door, and waved good bye before closing the door once more. Tony groaned at what had just happened and retreated to his workshop._


	2. Airport Mayhem

**Hey everyone. Disclaimer this and that. Well first off, I'm sooooo sorry that i haven't posted this sooner. I seriously just typed this up over the past two hours. Yeah yeah i'm a slow typer with bad grammar. but hey! I have good ideas. Or so i think.. So anyways. I have a couple family reunions and then its EAA in Oshkosh, Wisc! I probably wont be able post much soon so I'm apologising in advanced. So I really hope you enjoy this chapter. Hugs and kisses from sweetheartgrl13!**

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**Chapter 2**

Tony gently fought off paparazzi as he escorted Pepper to their plane. He made a mental note to buy some land for a private airfield. He usually kept his planes at Stark Industries but since reconstruction started, Tony had to move his planes to the empty airport hangars. He had bad luck and ended up having to send his planes to LAX. He also ended up having to walk through the airport to get to his own jet. One of the newspapers were told that he was going to be at the airport, so naturally, every entrance was swarming with photographers, dieing to get a shot of "The Merchant of Death."

The airport security had recruited the police to make way for Tony and Pepper through the cameras. Tony was dreading the newspaper headlines already. "Stark and Assistant Secretly Escape" or "The Future Mrs. Stark?" It would be front page on all of the star-watching magazines.

"Where are we going, Tony?" Pepper asked, snapping Tony, once again, from his thoughts.

"Ummm. Let me check again," Tony answered, pulling a slip of paper from his suit pocket, "We need to go to Terminal four, gate 49A."

"Oh. That's right over here," Pepper said, leading the way. As they walked through the terminal, Tony could see the waves of people turning their heads. Their muted words blurred together. Tony could hear his name being repeated hundreds along with the occasional curse. He knew this would happen. It was pretty much part of the job. There would always be people who thought his work was keeping America safe and there were those who were the complete opposite. Tony just kept his chin up and kept walking. He could feel Pepper walk a little closer to him. He grew a little more confident. She must have known that he was already in a vulnerable state of mind. He appreciated her presence.

"Mr. Stark! Over here!" yelled an enthusiastic photographer. Tony gave a smile and a quick wave. His purple tinted sunglasses blocking Tony's slight glare. He figured that if Stark Industries ever fell out from under him, he could be an actor. It took major skill to smile and glare at someone, at the same time. Maybe he would take it up as a hobby…

"Names?" asked a female attendant at gate 49A. She was blond with her hair up in a tight bun. Her uniform skirt showed off her thin, tan legs nicely. Tony looked her over and the attendant smiled slyly at him. Tony was tempted to smile back and use his infallible charm on her but he remembered why he was there and was instantly ashamed. Careful to show no emotion, Tony gave the woman the slip of paper. She bit her lip and took the paper from his steady hand. Tony looked over at Pepper to calm himself. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked back at him. Tony removed his sunglasses and put them in his front pocket. He barely noticed the attendant staring at him. Tony was too amused at Pepper's increasingly red face to notice. Besides he preferred brunettes except in Pepper's case.

Pepper looked down as her face turned the brightest shade of red Tony had ever seen. Tony looked up at the ceiling on his other side and ruffled his hair as a camera flashed. He gritted his teeth and prayed that they would be let on the jet soon. Just as Pepper seemed to recover, the attendant handed back the slip of paper. Tony looked down and saw a ten-digit number next to a name on it. He realized it was the attendant's phone number. He slipped his sunglasses back on and led Pepper to the plane. The attendant looked pissed at Tony's lack of reaction. He was extremely proud of himself. For once, Tony didn't feel like his playboy reputation.

"Would you like something to drink, Miss Potts?" Tony asked as they boarded the plane.

"I really don't think-"

"Not something heavy. Just a red wine?"

"Oh… I guess I do need a small drink," Pepper said, giving in. They sat down and a flight attendant brought them both a glass of Merlot. Pepper had a small sip and sat back in her chair.

"Good, Isn't it?" Tony asked.

"Very. How old?" Pepper asked back.

"At least ten years old," Tony guessed.

"Nice."

Just then, the pilot came over the intercom.

"We are ready for take off, Mr. Stark," said a male voice. Tony buckled his seatbelt and unbuttoned his suit jacket. He leaned forward, looking at Pepper.

"I love you- I mean… I-I love this part…" Tony stuttered, horrified at his accidental blurt. Pepper just stared at him.


	3. Landing

Tony was completely frozen in place. Peppers look of shock, terrified him. For once in his life, he wished he were back being held hostage. The interior of the jet seemed to close around Tony. He felt strangely claustrophobic. Tony didn't regret what he said, but he wished that he had meant to say it. Of course, it was true. He had never felt like this ever. Not even his long time high school girl friend had touched him like

Pepper did. He remembered every thing about those years.

Tony walked down the hall of Santa Monica High school surrounded by all his friends. Being the smartest and most popular guy in school certainly had its advantages.

"Pepper… I-" Tony started.

"Tony… don't say anything," she said, cutting Tony off. He was confused at her words. He looked up at her slowly, bracing himself for heartbreak. Tony was surprised by what he saw. Pepper was smiling that smile that Tony only saw when they were occasionally flirting. Tony's heart lifted out of the thick fog of heartbreak and hurt.

"Is that why we're going to London, Tony?" Pepper asked.

"Mostly, actually," Tony admitted, ruffling the hair on the back of his head. He realized it was becoming a habit.

"I had a feeling," Pepper said slyly.

"Please don't let my big mouth ruin this vacation for you…" Tony mumbled.

"Oh, Tony. Even though this change is nice, don't worry about every little thing you say."

Tony smiled at the slight joke.

"I'll try," Tony chuckled and held up his wine glass, "Cheers." Pepper tapped her glass against his.

The plane circled around the London terminal and came down gently. The pilot announced their landing and wished them a good day. Tony led Pepper off the plane and into the airport. Just before they walked into the line of sight of the people, Tony put his arm around Peppers shoulders. She looked up at him with questioning eyes but went with it anyways. As they walked out, people started talking immediately. Cameras flashed and Tony didn't care. Pepper felt a little tense under his touch and the cameras couldn't be helping. Tony leaned over.

"Just relax, Pepper," Tony whispered. Peppers shoulders loosened up and smiled at the cameras. By the time they made it to the door, photographers were swarming around Tony and Pepper. As they found their luggage, people were asking for autographs. Tony pulled a pen out of his jacket and started signing away. One man wouldnt stop calling Tony a murder but he just kept walking. He was tring to keep a good image these days. They grabbed their luggage and walked towards the door.

Tony had a car waiting for them at the airport. Tony opened the door for Pepper and He put their luggage in the trunk. Tony ran up to the drivers door, giving the photographers one last wave before driving off. Tony laughed as the crowd disappeared behind them.

"How do you put up with them?" Pepper asked, astounded with what just happened. Tony smirked.

"I'm me," Tony said, "Really, I don't know. I grew up in the spot light. It's kinda where I belong." Pepper nodded.

"So… does this mean were together now?" Pepper asked, looking out the window. Tony looked over at her.

"Is that what you want?" Tony asked. Pepper paused for a moment.

"Yeah," she said quietly. Tony grinned.

"Well that settles it."

Pepper looked at Tony, smiling.


	4. Talking

**Well the last chapter was a bit short and I hadn't updated in a long time so I tried to make this chapter longer and a treat for all of you. I made up a bit on Peppers life so don't get mad at me if it isn't what really happened. Please enjoy.**

**Chapter 4**

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Tony's London house was really nothing compared to all of his other houses. But then, anyone else who didn't know Tony would think it was a small mansion. He had designed it with a vacation in mind. The vacation house was two stories high with a small basement. Tony had outfitted it with everything he wanted. Jarvis was in the house but the system was outdated so it only alerted Tony of emergencies.

There was a large kitchen and dining room. The living room had a huge TV with top of the line surround sound. Three bed rooms and two bathrooms were scattered around the house. It was far from the city, on the edge of civilization. There were no neighbors and no stores for miles around. He had a friend stock it up with fresh food the day before they arrived in London.

Tony took his time driving through the country. It was one of those times where he marveled at the scenery instead of debating which car to get next. He had one hand on the steering wheel, the other, on top of Peppers' hand. The awkwardness from earlier seemed to die down and they were talking about their lives before Stark Industries.

"I used to live in Minnesota. I didn't much like the snow, but it was nice. I moved around a bit. Elementary school in Anoka, High school in Saint Michael. After college at the U of M, I came out to LA wanting to be an actress. I got a small job at Stark Industries and ended up staying there instead of following my dream. It's funny now that I look back on it. I don't regret a thing," Pepper mused. Tony soaked everything up. He kept asking her questions to keep her talking. He wanted to know her life story. After listening to her for a while, he realized that he didn't know much about her at first. They always talked about work. Tony regretted not asking her this stuff earlier.

They finally arrived at the vacation home. The sun was setting and the sky was a bright shade of red as Tony ran around the car and opened Peppers door for her.

"Why thank you, Mr. Stark," Pepper teased.

"Please, Mr. Stark was my childhood cat," Tony teased back. Pepper laughed and got out of the car. They carried their luggage inside; Tony insisted that he carry most of Peppers bags.

"I need to get out of these clothes. I'll be right back," Pepper promised.

"I miss you already," Tony said as pepper carried a bag up the stairs. Pepper rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Hey, it's true," Tony said, half joking and half serious. He hung the keys on the hook by the door and flopped down on the couch. He didn't feel like he needed to change. Tony always wore suits unless he was working in the shop. Tony just untucked his shirt and he went from being professional to relaxed.

Tony had only ever seen Pepper in professional clothes so he was shocked when Pepper came down the stairs in jeans and a light blue blouse.

"Wow, Pepper. You look… well, amazing. You should dress like this more often," Tony said, making a mental to put a casual Friday into effect. Pepper laughed.

"Thanks, Tony. I don't get to dress like this much," Pepper said sitting next to Tony. He put his arm around her and pulled her close to him.

"That shirt really brings out your eyes," Tony said leaning into Pepper.

"Thank you," Pepper said leaning towards Tony. They both knew what was happening. Tony just hoped it wouldn't turn out like on the balcony at Walt Disney Hall. He quickly shooed the memory away, afraid he would jinx himself. When their lips finally touched, Tony knew this kiss was different than any other kiss he had. This kiss meant something to him. Pepper wasn't some girl at a party looking to "get some." Pepper was Pepper and nothing could change that.

They pulled away and just looked at each other for a while.

"I've regretted not kissing you since that night," Pepper said, "But now I'm glad that were here instead of that balcony."

"Me too," Tony said. Pepper laid her head on Tony's chest, just above the Arc Reactor. Its blue glow barely escaped from his shirt. Tony was worried that Pepper could hear how hard his heart was beating but then he didn't really care.

Pepper must have been really tired from the days events because she had fallen asleep on Tony's chest. He was going to wake her up but he didn't want to ruin the moment. Her face was so calm and Tony quietly laughed as he thought about how often she was worried and scared.

"Tony…" Pepper breathed. Tony looked down at her again and saw her eyes were still closed.

"Pepper?" Tony asked.

"I love you, Tony," Pepper mumbled. Tony decided to go along with this.

"How much?" Tony prompted.

"More than you know," Pepper said. Tony smiled. He thought her sleep talking was hilarious and his heart was warmed by her words. Tony kissed the top of Peppers head, lifted the footrest on the couch and fell asleep with his love in his arms.


	5. Breakfast

**Hey everyone! so do you think i made you all wait long enough for a new chapter? Well i've worked on this for a couple days and here it is! Read away!**

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Tony woke up with his arm stuck under a slightly drooling Pepper. Tony chuckled softly and started on the delicate process of regaining his arm back. After several minutes of pulling and trying to move Pepper without waking her up, Tony finally got his arm back. He looked at his watch and saw it was only six in the morning. He walked down the hall and pulled a blanket out of the storage closet. He brought it back to Pepper and delicately laid it on her sleeping form. Tony stood watching Pepper sleep for several minutes. She was unbelievably beautiful and her charms showed despite being unconscious. Tony moved behind the couch and kissed Pepper gently on top of her head.

Tony walked up to his room on the second floor and changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt. Then he went down into the basement of the house and entered the workshop. It wasn't nearly as big or high-tech as his regular workshop but it satisfied his needs. Tony sat down at one of the computers and booted it up. He entered the Stark Industries database and wormed his way to his home computer. Several passwords later Tony was looking at the latest JARVIS update. He pulled it back through the database and uploaded it to his computer.

"Good morning, Sir. Couldn't make it a whole day here without me?" JARVIS asked.

"Very funny, JARVIS. Make sure you don't do anything to disturb Pepper," Tony said pulling up some new Iron Man designs and transferring them to the holographic table.

"Noted, Sir. Did you want some alone time from her?" Jarvis asked curiously.

"No. She's just sleeping. I don't want her to wake up to the sound of you telling me what the humidity is in Teighnmouth is right now," Tony said smirking.

"The humidity in Teighnmouth is 55%, Sir," JARVIS said.

"See? That would have woken Pepper up quicker than a news report saying that Stark Industries was going under," Tony said making the holographic suit spin around.

"Of course it would, Sir," JARVIS said with a perfect mastery of sarcasm. Tony laughed as he studied the projected stats of the suits durability and aerodynamics.

"You seem to be in a very good mood," JARVIS observed.

"You seem to be right, JARVIS," Tony said walking from the table to the computers, "It might have something to do with the very beautiful girl laying on my couch right now."

"Miss Potts, Sir? Or is there another girl in the house that my scanners aren't picking up?"

"Yes, Miss Potts, JARVIS," Tony said with a twinge of annoyance. He hoped that JARVIS' voice recognition program would pick that up. "I think my days of picking up girls are over." Tony had said this mostly for himself but it would be good for JARVIS to know.

"Really, Sir? I do believe that deserves congratulations. Shall I pour you a glass of Champaign?" JARVIS asked.

"No thanks, JARVIS. I don't think I should drink before noon anymore either," Tony said looking back on his life choices.

"Very well, Sir. If you don't mind me saying, I think you should have fallen in love with Miss Potts a long time ago. You could have avoided a lot of life mistakes," JARVIS said with as much care as a computer program could give.

"Trust me, JARVIS, I've loved Pepper for a long time. I just didn't know it."

Tony ordered JARVIS to save and shut down all the programs he had pulled up and to put a good, foolproof breakfast recipe up on the screen in the kitchen. JARVIS did as told and found a recipe with pictures showing exactly what to do. Tony studied the recipe for the egg bake for at least ten minutes before even thinking about attempting to start in on it. It seemed simple enough so he started by washing his hands; Pepper would be proud. He pre-heated the oven to 350 degrees (which took him ten minutes to figure out how to do) and put one-and-a-half pounds of breakfast sausage in a skillet at medium high heat. Tony left the sausage to brown while he cracked the dozen eggs and beat them. JARVIS gave him a reminder that he should probably move the sausage before it burnt. Tony cursed as he saw the sausage was darker than it should be and was borderline burnt. Tony set the sausage aside to cool and set in on tearing the seven slices of bread. JARVIS told him that tearing the bread into halves might not be good enough. Tony grumbled as he shredded the bread to pieces. He found 16 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese in the fridge and was thankful he didn't have to look for the cheese grater. Tony took what appeared to be four ounces of the cheese and set it aside for the top of the bake. With JARVIS' help, Tony found a 9 by 13 inch casserole dish. Tony combined the slightly burnt sausage, the 12 ounces of cheese and the shredded bread in a separate bowl. He then combined this with the egg and poured the sausagey, eggy mix into the casserole dish. He sprinkled the cheese on top and then remembered that he was supposed to grease the dish. Tony swore under his breath and shoved the casserole dish into the oven with tin foil on top. He had JARVIS set the timer for fifteen minutes and then walked out into the living room where Pepper was still fast asleep.

Tony couldn't help but to think back to the almost-kiss at Walt Disney Hall for the millionth time. Pepper had looked so beautiful in her dress. He was easily able to make her uncomfortable just by showing up. Tony used to like to see how he could make Pepper uncomfortable. It used to be a game for him but now that he had actually faced his feelings it seemed more like torture than an innocent game.

He regretted almost everything about that night at Walt Disney Hall. He had sped off to Gulmira in a blind rage and sought revenge instead of thinking about Pepper who he had left in a seemingly fragile state. He would never forgive himself for putting her in danger and decided that he would no longer leave her in the dark for as long as he had. She had proven herself capable of dealing with all the stress.

Seeing Pepper sleeping so peacefully was a new thing for Tony. Sure he had seen her sleeping before and even at his own house but she had been different then, guarded maybe from her emotions about Tony. Seeing her sleeping on the couch was new for him. He liked it.

"JARVIS?" Tony called.

"Yes, Mr. Stark?" JARVIS asked quietly.

"Wake me up when the food is done," Tony said lying back down on the couch with Pepper.

"Yes, Sir," said JARVIS. Tony carefully put his arm back around Pepper and she immediately moved to get comfy on his chest. As Tony started nodding off he noticed that Pepper's hand was right on top of his mini Arc Reactor. Tony swore that he saw the Arc Reactor shine brighter through his shirt.

"Tony, wake up."

Tony squinted through the sunlight coming through the shades and stretched. Then he realized that Pepper wasn't there. He looked around, confused. Tony was about to ask JARVIS where Pepper was when her voice came from the kitchen. He looked at his watch and saw it was already seven. He swore and went to the kitchen to see if their breakfast was salvageable.

"JARVIS? Why didn't you get me up?" Tony asked on the way.

"I was instructed not to disturb Miss Potts," JARVIS said matter-of-factly. Tony sighed and rolled his eyes. He entered the kitchen where Pepper was just setting and wonderful looking egg bake on the table.

"You make that?" Tony asked. Pepper looked up and smiled. She had changed into a pair of capris and a nice yellow shirt.

"No. JARVIS tells me you did," Pepper said.

"JARVIS? Why isn't that a shriveled, blackened clump of nothing?" Tony asked.

"I cut off the power to the oven when it was done so it wouldn't burn," JARVIS said. Tony looked impressed.

"Well. Hungry, Pepper?" Tony asked sitting down at the table, "And don't worry, I'm sure I made it right."

"I don't know, Tony," Pepper said jokingly, "JARVIS? What's your opinion?"

"Mr. Stark did a surprisingly good job. He only burnt the sausage a little," JARVIS informed.

"Thank you, JARVIS," Tony said proudly. Pepper laughed and sat down across from him. Tony picked up his fork and dug in to the dish, spilling some all over the table.

"Oh boy, would you look at that…" Tony said going back for more. Pepper giggled and grabbed his plate.

"I think maybe I should help you out just a little," she said grabbing the serving spoon next to the casserole dish.

"Ah, that may help," Tony said with a lopsided grin. Pepper gave him his plate back, neatly piled up with the egg bake. Tony took a hesitant bite and found that it was actually good. Pepper followed suit and a similar surprised look came over her face.

"Dis ib goob!" Tony said through his food. Pepper finished chewing and laughed.

"Good work, Tony. This may be your best creation yet."

"No. Iron Man is my best. This is my most successful creation," Tony said, bringing another forkful of egg to his mouth. Pepper smiled and dished herself up some more food.

"Jeez, Pepper. You skarffed that down in a hurry. You planning on a dine and dash?" Tony asked.

"Well the last time I ate was on the plane," Pepper said innocently.

"You had a gourmet steak," Tony said incredulously.

"Your point?" Pepper asked accusingly. Tony held up his hands in surrender.

"I'm just saying," Tony said with a grin. He knew Pepper wouldn't be able to resist it. Her hesitance only proved he was right. Pepper gave Tony a look that clearly said, "Really, Tony? Really?"

Tony finished off his food and put his plate in the dishwasher. Pepper put the rest of the egg bake in the fridge and turned to Tony.

"So, what are we doing today, Mr. Know-It-All?" Pepper said with a soft smile. Tony laughed and leaned up against the fridge.

"Well, there're several things we could do. We could go out and see what the nearest town is like. We could take a walk out in the woods," Tony stepped closer to Pepper, "Or we could stay here and watch a movie on the couch." Pepper smiled and moved slightly closer to Tony. They were barely an inch apart.

"Do you know what I would like to do more than anything in the world?" Pepper asked with a Stark-like glint in her eye. Tony had to clear his throat before talking.

"What?" he asked wondering where this was going.

"I would like you to drive me into town so I can find my mom a souvenir," she said with triumph in her voice. Tony frowned. Pepper could be an actress. He really thought that she was going to suggest something a little more sexual. The big question that was floating through Tony's mind was if he would go through with it this early in their relationship. He didn't think so. He didn't want to mess up things between himself and Pepper any more than he wanted Obadiah to come back from the dead.

"Ok, Pepper. Lets go. Where are the keys to the other cars, JARVIS?" Tony asked letting Pepper have her moment in the winners circle.

"In the hidden safe in the garage , Sir," JARVIS said," Oh and by the way, good shot, Miss Potts."

"Why thank you, JARVIS," Pepper said grinning at Tony.

"Yeah, yeah," Tony said with mock hurt, "It was a good one. Pep got me. My ego is so shattered I think I may need to go lay down and cry for a bit." Pepper stopped, turned Tony towards her and kissed him on the lips.

"Does that make it better?" Pepper asked. Tony thought for a minute.

"Mmm, I think I need one more," He said. Pepper smiled and kissed him and Tony held her tighter. Pepper pulled away and laid her head on Tony's shoulder. Tony could feel his heart beating faster at Pepper tightened her hold around Tony.

"Come on. Lets get your mom something nice," Tony said after kissing Pepper on the top of her head.

"Not too expensive though," Pepper said taking Tony's hand.

"Pepper, when you're with me, money is not an object," he said snatching his leather jacket from the closet. Tony had cars all over the world and so he had a lot to choose from wherever he went. Tony stepped into the four-car garage and smiled. Inside were an Audi A5, a 2010 Chevy Camero and a Rolls Royce Ghost. Tony was feeling in an Audi sort of mood so he grabbed the key out of the safe and opened the passenger door for Pepper. Tony slid into the car and felt at peace. He opened the garage door and tore off down the driveway. He tried not to go overboard for Peppers sake. She seemed to be having a good time with the windows rolled down and the radio blasting some song Tony had never heard by Modest Mouse. Tony's hand was once again on Pepper's and it was like he was looking through new eyes or at least a new state of mind. He had been on this road several times before. He knew it's every twist and turn but he wasn't thinking about that. He was more focused on the beauty around him, mainly Pepper. Her hair was flying around her and she looked like a goddess. He wished he could just stay there forever. Of course, people tend to get places fast going eighty miles an hour and they soon arrived at the small touristy town. Tony parked the car on front of a small family owned ice cream shop and treated Pepper to a small cone of rum cherry ice cream.

"This is the best ice cream I've ever had!" Pepper exclaimed as they walked down the main street of the small town.

"Yeah, it's pretty good isn't it?" Tony said licking his own cone, "My dad brought me here when I was a kid once. I'm surprised it's still here. I would have thought that it would have been taken over by a dairy queen or something."

"Your dad brought you here?" Pepper asked, "What were you doing here?"

"I went to a science competition in London when I was fifteen," Tony said, "I brought Dummy and won first place. They were pretty impressed. It was mostly older men and women there and I beat them all," Tony smiled recalling the looks on everyone's faces when the judges announced that he had won, "afterword, my dad brought me here and told me that if I kept it up, I could stand on the top of the world next to him," Tony stopped. Pepper must have been able to tell that the story had brought up some hard memories for him because she took Tony's free hand and squeezed it comfortingly. Tony cleared his throat and continued, "I guess that I'm on top of the world now, but I never got to stand next to my dad. He wasn't around long enough to see how hard I worked to make what he said possible."

"Oh, Tony, I bet he's looking down on all of us now and he's more proud than he ever was at any of those science competitions." Tony gave Pepper a weak but heartfelt smile.

"Thanks, Pepper," Tony said. Pepper always knew what to say to make things better.

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**Hey everyone! i hope you liked the chapter! if you want the recipe that i used for this chapter just email me! I tried putting it in the chapter but it didnt work...**


	6. Poison

**Hey everyone! i wanted to get a new chapter up quickly and keep the momentum going! So i'm adding in some elements from IM2 so i dont suggest reading until you see the movie. its nothing major just plot lines and tech. Luv u all!

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"Thanks again, Tony," Pepper said turning the hand-blown glass necklace over in her hands.

"Seriously, Pepper, don't mention it," Tony said sipping his espresso. It wasn't very expensive for Tony but Pepper had gone white looking at the price. Her reaction was what made him decide to buy it. It was simple yet elegant and abstract. Bright colors swirled inside made the necklace interesting to look at for hours at on end. Pepper had been looking at it for about ten minutes before Tony decided to remind her that her coffee was getting cold. Pepper reluctantly set it down and sipped her frappachino. Tony made a mental note to go back and buy her one of the necklaces before they left.

"Bug bite?" Pepper asked. Tony gave her a puzzled look.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"You were scratching your chest," Pepper said casually.

"Oh, yeah I guess," Tony said dismissingly. Tony realized that the area surrounding his Arc Reactor was a little itchy and sore. Hoping not to worry Pepper, Tony excused himself to the bathroom. He closed the door and locked it after making sure no one was inside. He moved to the mirror and lifted up his shirt. A cold wave of dread came over him as he saw thin reddish-black lines radiating from the Arc Reactor in a strange pattern. He gently touched the lines and frowned.

"Shit…" Tony muttered, "That can't be good." Tony pulled his shirt back down and splashed his face with cold water. He took a deep breath and put on a calm face. He could pull it off until he was able to get home and have JARVIS do some tests. He left the bathroom and sat back down across from Pepper. He decided that this was one thing he would have to keep from her, at least until he had found out what it was and if necessary, a cure for it. He felt bad going back on his promise to keep Pepper out of the dark but it would stress him out if she were stressed out. Tony downed the rest of his coffee and waited for Pepper to finish.

"Hey, Pepper?" Tony asked, "Mind if I grab something quick."

"Yeah, sure. I'll be done in a sec," she said.

"You can't come with. It's a surprise," Tony said with a smile. He knew it wouldn't reach his eyes but he tried anyways. He must have tried hard enough because it fooled Pepper.

" Ok. Hurry back, Tony," She said leaning back in her chair. Tony nodded and left, putting on his sunglasses even though it wasn't all that sunny outside. Tony was amazed at how big of a turnaround the day had been. It was one big emotional rollercoaster and Tony Stark did not enjoy being jerked around. Tony pulled out his phone and called the special number he had set up to contact JARVIS. The phone rang twice before picking up.

"Good afternoon, Sir. Is there something wrong?" Came JARVIS' voice from the phone. Tony looked around to make sure no one was paying too much attention or that Pepper had decided to come after him.

"Yes, there's definitely something wrong. I have this weird marking all around my Arc Reactor. It doesn't look good, JARVIS," Tony said taking a random turn down an abandoned street.

"What does it look like?" JARVIS asked.

"Reddish-black in color, mostly straight lines and 90 degree angles. I want to do an analysis when I get home but not a word to Pepper, understand? She cannot know about this," Tony said.

"Yes, Sir. I will have the computers running searches of similar cases while you are gone," JARVIS said. Tony frowned. How could there be a similar case? There couldn't possibly be another person in the world with a miniature Arc Reactor implanted in their chest.

"Also look up if it has anything to do with the components in the Arc Reactor itself," Tony said tapping his chest where the Arc Reactor was, absentmindedly.

"Good idea, Sir," JARVIS said, "One suggestion, Mr. Stark: try not to stress yourself out about your condition."

"It's a little late for that," he said hanging up the phone. Tony stood in the alley for a couple minutes with his eyes shut, meditating in a way. He opened his eyes and felt at least somewhat centered. He walked back out to the main street and found the store that they had been at earlier in the day. Tony walked in and started looking for the right necklace. He found a couple good ones but put them back when he found one in the shape of a heart with a mix of red and yellow on the inside. He looked at it with a lopsided smile and thought of how it would remind her of him whenever she looked at it. It was perfect. He even forgot about his newest obstacle in life when he found it. Tony paid several hundred dollars for the necklace and left the shop, hurrying back to Pepper. He found her just finishing her coffee and reading the local newspaper. She smiled and waved to him as he entered the coffee shop.

"Come on, lets get outta here," Tony said. Pepper stood up and joined him at the door.

"So what did you buy?" she asked. Tony smiled knowing that she would immediately ask him that.

"I bought you something," he said enjoying the grin on Pepper's face. He pulled the small box out of the bag and handed it to Pepper. She looked at it with surprise.

"This is the same type of box that my mother's necklace came in," she said slowly.

"Yepp," Tony said simply, "Open it." Pepper opened the box and gasped when she saw it.

"It's beautiful!" she squealed as she lifted the necklace up out of the box.

"I thought you'd like it," Tony said laughing. Pepper stared at it until they got to the car.

"Will you help me?" Pepper said unhooking the clasp. Tony took the necklace and brought it around her neck while she lifted up her hair. He hooked the necklace and turned to look at Pepper.

"So beautiful," he muttered.

"Oh, I know! I love it, Tony!" she exclaimed.

"I meant you, Pepper," Tony said softly kissing Pepper. Pepper blushed redder than a tomato and giggled a bit. Tony opened the car door for Pepper and sighed. He could still be a romantic even under stress. Tony got in the car and drove back to the house faster than they had left. Tony was gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles were white when they got home. Pepper didn't seem to notice anything; she was too busy looking at her new necklace. Tony was glad he had gotten something to distract her. Tony backed the car into the garage and pulled the key out of the ignition.

"Hey, Pepper," Tony said, "I have some stuff I have to do for a bit. It's going to take some time so you can take one of the cars and explore the area. I think there're some trails about five miles down the road if you want to do that." Pepper looked confused.

"Work stuff?" she asked.

"Kinda. It's very important," Tony said hoping that she would go for it. She sat there and stared at him for several seconds.

"Okay, Tony," Pepper said. She leaned over and kissed Tony making him feel even guiltier. They got out of the car and Pepper stopped.

"What if I get lost?" Pepper asked walking over to the less fancy car out front.

"Not a problem. JARVIS, upload yourself to all the cars and help Miss Potts out, got it?" Tony said leaning against the Audi A5.

"Yes, Sir. Upload complete," JARVIS said after a couple seconds.

"Thank you, JARVIS," Tony said, "There's just one thing I need from the trunk." Tony pulled they keys from his pocket and opened the trunk of the car. He pulled out a bright red and gold suitcase then tossed Pepper the keys. She caught them and unlocked the car. Tony walked over and leaned against Pepper's opened window.

"Don't be too long now," Pepper said.

"I wont. Don't worry," Tony said.

"I love you, Tony," she said.

"I love you too, Pepper," he said. Pepper drove off down the driveway. Tony felt bad for sending her off like that but it had to be done if he wanted to find out what was wrong in peace.

"JARVIS, make sure Pepper doesn't eavesdrop on me from the car," Tony said walking inside. That was the one bad thing about giving JARVIS to Pepper. She could tell JARVIS to open a line to the basement and listen in on what Tony was doing.

"Yes, Sir." Tony went straight to the basement and set the suitcase down on the floor. Tony threw his sunglasses and leather jacket on the ground and looked down at the suitcase.

"Sir, I thought you wanted to run the tests we talked about first?"

"I need to relax first. I'm going for a quick flight," Tony said stepping on the bottom of the suitcase making it pop open, showing a mess of metal. Tony bent down and grabbed the two handles, which he turned and pushed down making the gauntlets activate. He pulled them up and the metal started to encase his legs. He brought hands up to his chest and the metal hooked up to his Arc Reactor, burning away the small circle of shirt in its way. Tony brought his arms out and the metal moved to complete his transformation from mere man to a true one-man-army. A second later and Tony was Iron Man again. The HUD (heads up display) came online and started doing scans on his surroundings. Tony felt relaxed as the familiar white read-outs told him everything he needed to know and more. Tony had come up with the idea for this compact suit the night Obadiah had almost succeeded in killing him. He realized that all the danger in the world would come straight to him, although it did seem like it would. Tony brought the suit along just in case.

"I'll be back soon," Tony said starting to hover several feet off the ground. Tony pitched the suit forward and shot towards the open garage he had put in place the week before. Tony twirled through the air and couldn't help but to give a whoop in excitement.

"JARVIS, make sure that the Royal Air Force doesn't send out some fighters to shoot me down, even though that would be fun," Tony said.

"Yes, Sir," JARVIS said. Tony slowed to a hover high above the country.

"Show me the house and Pepper's car," Tony said curiously. Two small markers appeared on his HUD. Pepper wasn't far from the house but she wasn't driving towards it either. Tony considered having JARVIS send Pepper a message but that would have defeated the purpose of sending her away. Tony frowned and headed back to the house. Tony blew into the house at well over fifty miles an hour and came to a quick stop, blowing papers everywhere. Tony shut down the system and started to take off the suit the same way he put it on. The suit was once again a medium sized suitcase and Tony was walking over to the computers.

"Okay JARVIS. What do you have for me?" Tony asked examining the hole in his shirt and the Arc Reactor that lie inside.

"The only possible culprit that I could find is the palladium powering the Arc Reactor," JARVIS said. Tony froze in his chair. It took him several seconds to comprehend what JARVIS had said.

"The very thing I made to keep me alive is poisoning me?" he asked to the air.

"So it would seem. The only way to prove my theory is to do a simple blood test," JARVIS said. Tony stood and walked over to the opposite side of the workshop and grabbed a small knife. He quickly jabbed his finger and looked at the droplet of blood that came out. He scowled at it and let it drop into one of JARVIS' sensors. Three seconds later JARVIS had the result, "Blood Toxicity: 5%"

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"JARVIS, I want you to let me listen in to what Tony is doing. I'm worried about him. He didn't seem right after he went to the bathroom today," Pepper said. She had stopped the car in a small parking lot outside the trails Tony had told her about.

"I'm sorry, Miss Potts. Mr. Stark had strictly forbade me to let you do so," JARVIS said. Pepper cursed and tried to think of some way to get around Tony's order. Then she remembered something that made her grin.

"JARVIS. My personal system override code still in effect?" Pepper asked with a grin.

"Yes," JARVIS said after a second. Pepper knew JARVIS would probably try to tell Tony about this so she quickly launched into the code. The four word code was created in case Tony went crazy or someone somehow hacked into JARVIS' system. It gave Pepper total control.

"Pepper Potts Is Boss," Pepper said clearly.

"Pepper Potts system override code accepted," JARVIS said.

"Don't let Tony know I'm in. Keep doing as he asks you," Pepper ordered.

"Yes, Ma'am," JARVIS said.

"Where is Tony right now?" Pepper asked.

"Just landing from a quick flight."

"Why was he out flying?"

"To relieve stress."

"Okay then… I want you to open a channel between the car and the workshop. I just want to listen so mute my side," Pepper said.

"Yes Ma'am," JARVIS said obediently. Pepper heard Tony's footsteps across the cement floor.

"Okay JARVIS. What do you have for me?" Tony asked. Pepper assumed he sat down in one of the chairs after she heard a quiet creak.

"The only possible culprit that I could find is the palladium powering the Arc Reactor," JARVIS said.

"What is palladium?" Pepper asked.

"It's the element that's powering Mr. Stark's Arc Reactor."

"What's wrong with it?" Pepper asked.

"It seems to be poisoning Mr. Stark."

"The very thing I made to keep me alive is poisoning me?" Tony asked.

"Oh God… Tony… Why didn't you tell me…" Pepper muttered.

"So it would seem. The only way to prove my theory is to do a simple blood test," JARVIS said. Pepper listened to Tony's hasty footsteps. Several seconds later JARVIS said something that chilled Pepper to the bone: "Blood Toxicity: 5%"


	7. Comfort

**Hey everyone! This chapter is kinda short but i really wanted to get another chapter up so here it is! I'll be writing more soon so i'm hoping to keep updating! Hope you like this one! (I'm really thinking about involving Pepper's mother in this. Great idea StarkObsessed!) I'll have lighter chapters soon! This won't turn into some depressing fight against death! Thanks for all the reviews! Remember those reviews fuel me! Luv you all!

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Tony sat down in absolute stunned silence. His head swirled with the possibilities. _How fast will this progress? It there a way to stop it or at least slow it? Can I keep this from Pepper?_

"Why didn't you tell me, Tony?" _Great. Now I'm imagining voices… _"Tony?"

"Pepper?" Tony asked wondering if he was going crazy.

"I'm sorry, Sir. She used her system override code," JARVIS said. Tony pieced the words together.

"How much did you hear, Pepper," Tony asked grimly.

"Everything. Why didn't you tell me?" She sounded hurt and that tore Tony worse than anything.

"I'm sorry, Pepper. I didn't want you to be upset."

"Then when would you have told me? On your deathbed?" Pepper asked.

"I won't let it get that far," Tony said forcefully.

"Then you'll let me help you beat this," Pepper said.

"I don't know, Pepp-"

"It wasn't a question, Tony." Tony was surprised by the hardness in her voice. He hesitated in answering her but he knew he was going to give in. He couldn't do this to her anymore.

"Okay, Pepper. Just come home, please," Tony said weakly.

"I'm almost there, Tony," Pepper said.

"We're going to have to go back to the other house. I don't have the right resources here to try and fix this," Tony said shutting the computers down and grabbing the suitcase.

"That's fine, Tony. We should leave tonight. The more time we have, the better," Pepper said. Tony agreed but felt bad for cutting their vacation short. Tony packed his things and noticed that while he had been focusing on other things, black clouds have moved in and blotted out the sun. Tony gave a dark chuckle at how the weather suited his situation. It stared to downpour as Pepper came through the door. Her hair was slightly damp from running to the door. She saw Tony leaning up against the wall by the stairs and she ran over to him.

"How bad is it?" Pepper whispered. Tony unbuttoned his shirt like he had when he has showing Obadiah the Mini Arc Reactor. Tony remembered that back then he had felt pride at his work. Now he could only feel fear and a slowly rising panic. Pepper gasped in shock at the thin black lines radiating from the Arc Reactor. She gently ran her finger over the lines and Tony's heart raced at her touch. She pulled him into a close embrace and was silent for several minutes. Tony held her tight, relieved to have a moment to just take everything in. It was relaxing to listen to the rolling thunder and smell Pepper's vanilla perfume. He wished that they could stay there in that moment. Nothing to separate them. Tony rested his cheek on the top of Pepper's head and sighed. He closed his eyes and ran through the memories of the days before. _We were having such a good time and something like this had to happen._ Tony wondered if karma was to blame. He had never believed in karma much or even anything that wasn't right in front of him. It even took almost dying in a hellish cave to make him understand that what he was doing for a living was wrong. Tony wondered if every bad thing and even every good thing that had happened in his life was all due to karma. The high paying job as the head of a company as a result of hard work all through school. The multitude of girls due to his lack of love from his father and absence of his mother. A near-death wake up call to the misuse of his weapons just for a second chance in life. And Pepper to help make sure he didn't stray from the straight and narrow path he was now walking. Had he stumbled onto thin ice somehow? Why was his life being torn open once again? Tony cursed his luck and wondered if just for that he would have a tornado dropped down on his house. Tony looked up as if to see a godly face looking back at him. He sent a challenging look upward and then realized how silly he must have looked. Tony didn't want to but he knew he had to break the silence and tell Pepper that they should get going.

"Yeah you're right. We shouldn't waste any more time," she called as she ran up the stairs to pack what little she had taken out of her suitcase. Tony nodded back knowing she wouldn't see him. He carried his things out to the car that they had driven out in. Pepper came down as he came back inside. Tony helped her put her case into the car as well. Tony went through house and turned off all the lights and made a call to his friend and told him they would be leaving early. Tony tried to keep his voice light and even a little joking but he knew that the was a hint of panic in there. He was glad his friend hadn't picked up on it.

Tony and Pepper drove back the less scenic way but it was faster. The rain beat down on the car like a hurricane. Pepper was on the phone most of the way trying to set up a quick flight. No amount of pleading and even bribery could set up an immediate flight out. Tony thought that Pepper was tempted to start screaming at the person on the other end of the call but she kept it professional. He was impressed.

Tony flew through the traffic and made it to the airport in less than an hour. He dropped the car off as Pepper brought their luggage inside. The rain hadn't given up one but and Tony was soaked by the time he made it inside. Despite being late in the afternoon, there were many people inside the airport. Several had cameras and most recognized him. Tony cursed his luck yet again and pushed his way through the crowd. Pepper took on a bodyguard like role and pushed back the people who got too close. Tony had a newfound respect for her. She was everything Tony could ever wish for. Once they got into the terminal there were much less people and tony had time to thank Pepper.

"You really didn't have to do that you know."

"Yeah. I know but this isn't exactly your best day," Pepper said, "Besides, my job has taken on stranger responsibilities lately." Tony laughed with Pepper as they both reminisced on the time Tony had Pepper help him replace the first version of the Arc Reactor. Tony recalled Pepper's panicked look as she sent him into cardiac arrest. He thought about that day a lot with both regret and humor. It was a very nerve racking thing to go through but looking back on it was easier to do than being there. Tony wondered if maybe he had done something wrong when he designed the new Arc Reactor but he had to remind himself that he had no idea if it would actually work. He knew it would run and keep the shrapnel out of his heart but he didn't know if there were going to be ill side affects. Tony shook the thoughts away and excused himself to go change in the bathroom. He felt much better once in dry clothes. He put all of his wet clothes except his leather jacket straight into the garbage not wanting to carry wet clothes around in his suitcase. Tony walked back to Pepper and saw that the board with all the flight info was light up in red. All flights were canceled until the worst of the storm had passed. Tony frowned and sat down next to Pepper, taking her hand in his. She leaned on his shoulder and closed her eyes. They were both silent, Tony listening to the sounds of the airport. After watching several teenagers play cards and talk about their up coming trip to Costa Rica for a while, Tony turned his head and watched Pepper who had fallen asleep. Tony wished he had asked her out sooner. He liked having Pepper fall asleep on him. Tony gently shifted so that his arm was around Pepper. He hoped that she wouldn't wake up with a stiff neck.

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"Would Mr. Stark please report to gate 23. Again Mr. Stark to Gate 23 for boarding, please," said the young mail voice over the airport speakers. Tony cold have sworn that it was JARVIS telling him to get up but then he remember that he was in Great Brittan. Everyone sounded a lot like JARVIS here. Then Tony rethought that. JARVIS sounded like them. Tony looked down at his watch ad realized that he had been asleep for several hours. He gently nudged Pepper and called for her to wake up. Tony quietly laughed as Pepper blinked herself awake.

"Come on, Pep. They're calling for us. I think our plane is finally set to leave," Tony said helping Pepper to her feet. They walked to the gate and boarded the Stark Industries plane and started down the runway as soon as they sat down. Pepper fell asleep yet again as Tony started to come up with ideas to save himself.


	8. Flight

**Hey heres the new chapter!

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About an hour into the flight Tony got up from his seat and found the box of supplies he always had on his private jets. He brought the box over to the other side of the plane and sat down across the aisle from Pepper in a seat with a table. He pulled out a pad of drawing paper and a freshly sharpened pencil and started putting the ideas he had down on paper. Tony was most focused on a design that would allow Tony to replace the palladium inside. He figured that since he had palladium poisoning, the palladium inside the Arc Reactor must be compromised. Tony fully sketched the plan out and leaned back to admire his work. It looked even more sleek than his current one. Tony unbuttoned his shirt and twisted the Arc Reactor out of its place. He pulled it out just enough to look at it without unhooking it. It was a marvelous thing to look at. The soft yet ultra bright blue glow was almost a hopeful sight. _If I could make this work of art, shouldn't I be able to save myself from it? I created it to save me and it's killing me in the process. Well isn't that just plain ironic. _Tony put the Reactor back in its place and looked back at the paper. He picked up the pencil and started to doodle absentmindedly. He began to think about Pepper and how she had been such a help to him. Tony began to wonder exactly who she had been comforting back in the hall earlier that day. Surely it must have been around half and half. Pepper needed comforting just as much as he did. Tony looked over at Pepper who was sound asleep in her chair. He smiled as she murmured something that sounded a lot like his name.

"Yes, Pepper?" Tony softly asked wondering if he would get a sleep conversation out of her.

"Don' forget to take out th' garbage, okay?" she muttered back. Tony held a snicker back.

"But we're out of garbage bags, Pep," Tony said with mock sadness. Pepper sighed.

"I'll go get some later," she said groggily. Tony thought for a minute. He wondered if he could get some true facts from her. He decided to test it.

"Who do you work for," he asked hoping she would say something funny like Hugh Heffner.

"I work for Tony Stark. You should know that Tony. Mr. Stark is on the news so often that everyone knows who he is." Tony laughed lightly and wondered why his work self seemed to be a whole other person from his social self according to Pepper.

Tony decided to use the moment to his advantage and get some answers out of her that he should have known by then.

"Did you have any pets when you were a kid?"

"Yeah. I had a Bunny named Artemis. He was so cute."

"Do you have any allergies?"

"I'm terribly allergic to strawberries."

"Do you like your job?"

"When Mr. Stark isn't trying to get himself killed or completely drunk, yes. " Tony made a mental not to try and stop drinking so much.

"What is your favorite color?"

"Blue. The same blue as the dress I wore to the Disney thing Mr. Stark funded. You were there, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember," Tony said, the memory of a forgotten Vodka martini in this head, "I'm still sorry for that."

"It's okay, Tony. I know you didn't mean to," Pepper said. It sounded like she was starting to wake up a little. Tony looked down at his doodle and saw that he had written "TS + PP" inside a poorly drawn heart. Tony laughed at how much he was like a love sick teenager.

"Pepper?"

"Yes, Tony?"

"You love me, right?"

"Of course. I've always loved you."

"Yeah, me too," Tony said trying to fix the sloppy heart.

"What's that?" Pepper asked. Tony looked up at her and saw she was trying to look at what he had drawn.

"When did you wake up?" Tony asked trying to avoid her question and hoping she hadn't been awake for his whole interrogation.

"Just now. Why?" Pepper asked suspiciously.

"Okay. Don't worry. It's nothing," Tony said with a smile.

"I wasn't sleep-talking again, was I?" Pepper said horrified. Tony gave Pepper a sheepish grin.

"Just a little," Tony said.

"Oh God! What did I say? Tony you have to tell me!" Pepper stood up and walked over to where Tony was sitting. Tony laughed and reached for Pepper's hand revealing the doodle. Pepper grabbed the paper and, while giggling at Tony's shocked expression, forgot all about the sleep-talking.

"This is very cute, Tony," Pepper smiled. Tony fumbled for words and found that he couldn't find any.

"You know if this blueprint stuff weren't on this, I would frame it," Pepper said holding the paper up to admire it. Tony stood up and snatched it back.

"It's just a doodle," Tony said putting the sketch back on the table.

"Just a doodle?" Pepper asked with a mock pout. Tony took a step closer to her. He let his suave side take over and gave Pepper a smile than no one could resist.

"Yes. Just a doodle," Tony said in the voice he usually saved for his meaningless flirting but this time it wasn't meaningless. "Besides," he paused admiring how beautiful Pepper could be even having just woken up, "I thought that you were past doodles, Miss Potts." Pepper bit on her lip, most likely deciding how to play her cards.

"Well, I guess that you could say that I'm past doodles so to speak but if one turns up I'd be more than happy to-"

"So you're past doodles then," Tony interrupted, sensing her tendency to ramble kick in. Pepper gave Tony an odd look.

"I'm past doodles," she said simply. Tony took another step forward leaving only a couple inches between them.

"Was that so hard?" Tony asked. Pepper seemed to be losing her train of thought. Tony knew it was unfair to use his power of seduction on his own girlfriend._ I need to prove that she isn't the only one in this relationship who can leave someone speechless._ Tony casually ran his fingers through his hair in a way that belonged on a magazine cover.

"You're pure evil, Tony," Pepper said half dazed. Tony grinned an evil yet loving grin.

"I know, Pepper. And I'm all yours," He said before Pepper threw her arms around him and kissed him fiercely.

After Tony and Pepper finished what Rhodey would have probably described as "sucking face", Pepper decided to ask Tony a favor.

"You haven't met her and she's been dying to meet you. I promise it would only be a couple days," Pepper reasoned.

"Pepper. You know I have a ton of work to do…" Tony frowned.

"It's my mother, Tony. You're going to have to meet her sooner or later you know. I would prefer the sooner side of that, too. My mom can be a little harsh sometimes and she respects a man who wants to do things right. Besides I want to give her my gift in person."

"Wait. Do things right? What's that supposed to mean? Does this mean no sex before marriage?" Tony asked leaning forward in his chair, horrified. Pepper rolled her eyes.

"Yes, but I suppose if it came down to it, it could be our little secret," Pepper sighed. Tony relaxed a little.

"Jeez, Pepper. Don't scare me like that," he said half jokingly. Pepper gave him a scolding look but didn't comment any more on the subject.

"Okay. Pepper you win this one but if were going to go visit your mom I want to do it now," Tony said firmly.

"Now? What are you just going to go up and ask the pilots to make a detour?" Pepper asked.

"That's a great idea, Pepper. Where does your mom live?" Tony asked standing up.

"You can't do that, Tony. Oh who am I kidding… you can do any thing you want. She lives In Minnesota. A bit north of the metro. Tell them to land in Minneapolis," Pepper said trailing after Tony torwards the cockpit. Tony knocked on the reinforced door and one of the pilots opened the door. He looked to be much younger than the other pilot. He had light brown hair and silver-blue eyes.

"Hello, Mr. Stark. We didn't expect you to be joining us," he said slightly star struck. Tony flashed the smile he always wore for fans, paparazzi and even the haters.

"I was wondering if you could take a little detour for me?" Tony asked.

"A detour?" asked the pilot, "What do you mean?" Tony put on his best mourning face.

"Well, my girlfriend's dad is very sick… He's on his last leg and there's really no time for us to catch another flight to see him before he… well, you know…" Tony delivered it perfectly as he pushed Pepper back. He hoped that she would catch the hint and go pretend to cry in the corner.

"I'm so sorry," The pilot said falling for Tony's act, "Where do you need to go? I'll see if we can't work something out."

"Minneapolis, Minnesota," Tony said solemnly. _I'm really going to have to look into acting…_ The pilot nodded and sent Tony back to his seat assuring him that he would do what he could to change the flight path. Tony closed the cockpit door and turned around to found Pepper sitting in her seat with a stern look on her face.

"Did you really have to hypothetically kill my father?" Pepper asked.

"It's better than just saying 'Hey! We want to drop by my girlfriend's parents just for the heck of it so what do you say?'" Tony said sitting next to her. Pepper frowned but seemed to agree with him.

"Look, I'm sorry. If it makes you feel any better, I am interested in meeting your parents," Tony said.

"I've been wanting to talk to you about that, actually," Pepper said.

"Oh yeah?" What's up?" Tony asked.

"Well, it might be good if you didn't call me Pepper," she said with a wince.

"Why not?" Tony asked confused," It's a harmless enough name." Tony wondered if Pepper's mom has some weird aversion to certain names.

"I know it's just that- well, she can be a little strict with how she-" Pepper seemed to be searching for the right words," umm, runs her house and names are kinda one of those things."

"Names?" Tony asked skeptically, "So I'm supposed to call you Virginia the whole time we're there?"

"Yeah," Pepper said looking relieved for some reason. Probably because Tony hadn't forgotten her real name.

"Can't you get your name legally changed to Pepper?" Tony asked mostly seriously.

"You can't deal with calling me by my real name for a couple days?" Pepper asked.

"Days? I thought this was going to be an afternoon visit?" Tony asked getting nervous.

"Tony, this is my parent's we're talking about. Not some friend I knew for a semester in college," Pepper argued.

"Hey I once stayed with some one I knew back in MIT for a month!" Tony exclaimed with a little glint of mischief in his eyes

"Girlfriend?" Pepper asked crossing her arms. Tony scowled. _She's good._

"… Never mind that. How are your parents going to react when you tell them 'Hey mom and dad! My boyfriend is dying and we decided to drop by so I can have you guys meet him before he keels over!'" Tony knew he was hitting a soft spot but he couldn't stop himself. Pepper was about to say something but stopped. She turned away and stared out the window without saying one word. _Now you've done it. Way to go Tony. You just verbally murdered the only person in your life who can stand you. Kudos._

"Jeez, Pep. I'm so sorry. I don't know where that came from. Just forget I ever said it," Tony said completely guilt ridden.

"No. You're right, Tony. I shouldn't have even suggested it," Pepper said in a monotone voice still looking out the window.

"Please, Pepper. I didn't mean it. I'm really interested in meeting your parents. I want to get to know you more and meeting your parents is on my list. And I am not going to keel over. I shouldn't have said that," Tony said hoping he hadn't just lost the person in his life that mattered most.

"It's okay, Tony. I'm sorry I'm springing this on you. I should have suggested it after we had worked on the cure a bit," Pepper said turning back to face Tony.

"You should probably call your parents and tell them we're coming," Tony said, "You can use mine. It won't interfere with the plane." Tony handed Pepper his phone and watched her dial the number with mixed emotions. He was excited to meet his potential in-laws. He was hopeful that they would get along. He was scared shitless for both of those reasons too.

"Hello, Mother," Pepper said with a smile on her face. _Mother? _"I just wanted you to know that Tony and I are going to drop by in the morning."

"Flight path change has been approved. Two hours to Minneapolis."

_Oh boy._


End file.
